Thomas Cook Boosts Online Strategy

Tour operator repositions in drive to become Europe’s top online travel agent.

Thomas Cook is looking to raise its online profile among consumers as it aims to become the most visited travel agent online in Europe. To oversee this task, it has hired Louise Mullock, the head of online sales and marketing at BSkyB, the biggest pay-TV broadcaster in the UK. Mullock, who has also been a management consultant at Accenture, will lead Thomas Cook’s online drive role as the tour operator’s sales and marketing director, ecommerce.

Thomas Cook spent €1.64 million on online marketing during the first half of 2010. The new recruit has been told that she can increase this figure by as much as she thinks necessary. With the increased investment in online operations, the operator clearly has strong ambitions for its website.

In May this year, the company gave its East/West Europe division’s chief executive, then Thomas Doering, the task of overseeing its strategy to become Europe’s leading online travel agent. Doering is now chief executive of ecommerce for Thomas Cook Group, the person who Mullock now reports to.